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Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

Ian Mahinmi continues his Buster Keaton-esque ways. From the amazing catch and shoot in transition (that he nailed) to the putback which he airballed because he ran into Scola's back, he continues to emerge as my favorite player.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

So much of this is better than I could have imagined. Acquiring West was a coup. Hill was a great pickup. Hibbert turned out better than anyone on earth expected. Paul George is playing like Kobe Bryant. I could have sworn when we drafted Lance that it was a huge mistake and he didn't even have the capability to guard either PG or SG. Wonder what JOb is thinking about now.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

What about Isaiah Thomas and Ramon Sessions? Have to imagine Andre Miller is still in the conversation too.

I'm content with Watson, and I've feared/liked him since his season in Chicago. I just don't know that he's the best backup.

I think if we are looking at the backup PGs of other teams and saying this one or that one is better than Watson, then we are probably getting too caught up in statistics.

Nine games in may be a bit early to say it, but when considering what this team tries to do at each end of the floor, to me CJ seems to be the best fit we've had at backup PG that we've had in a long, long time. Beyond that, he is able to start into the starting lineup without a significant drop off in overall starting unit performance.

I think this fact makes it pretty important to find a way to keep CJ in years going forward, as long as he continues at least at his current performance. It's been very difficult for the Pacers to achieve this in a PG off the bench.

But, although not as overall important, I think we should also consider Sloan. All I want from my third string PG is someone who can play steady for a few minutes here and there, not commit too many TOs and essentially keep the wheels on the bus. So far, in very limited action, we've gotten much, much more than that from Sloan.

I really give the Pacers kudos for finally acquiring a couple of backup PGs that seem to completely fit our needs. I don't really know that I would take any other PGs in the league who currently play similar roles for their teams. FIT is more important, and as we already know through several years of experience, when it comes to backup PGs, the grass is rarely greener on the other side of the hill. Be happy when you have what you need.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

We haven't exactly played the toughest schedule either. Neither the Nets or Bulls are playing up to their potential in any way, and the rest of the teams are low seed playoff teams at best.

Funny thing about that - if we're one of the top 4 seeds in the league, then every team but 3 will be "lower competition". Especially early in the season, when some of the reason they are losing is because the Pacers beat them.

If we'd started by playing the teams that started out hot and gotten beat, would we have the excuse that those were the hot teams at the time? No, we'd be getting raked over the coals for not being as good as anyone thought. It's like winning is luck of the draw, losing is because you suck.

Who had 9 games in the "but the schedule is easy" pool?

BillS

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

Besides Mayo, Milwaukee doesn't really have much talent, but I felt the Pacers played well. Roy was huge, and Paul's midrange game this season has been spectacular. Lance was impressive as usual around the rim.

I was a little disappointed with the crowd attendance though. You've got an 8-0 team playing on a Friday night, and I realize it's the Bucks...but comon. It wasn't a Tuesday.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

16,000 people to see the Pacer destroy a crappy Bucks team in an 18,000 seat facility is more than acceptable IMO.

"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel

"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "
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Indianapolis — Miroslav Raduljica is a big guy, listed in the Milwaukee Bucks media guide at 7-foot-1 and 280 pounds.

But Raduljica was pushed around and outmaneuvered by 7-2 Indiana center Roy Hibbert on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Hibbert proved unstoppable as the Indiana Pacers cruised to a 104-77 victory, improving to 9-0 and remaining the only unbeaten team in the National Basketball Association. The Pacers center just missed a triple-double with season highs of 24 points and eight blocks to go along with 10 rebounds.

"This is maybe the strongest guy I've ever played, the biggest and longest," said Raduljica, the 25-year-old rookie from Serbia. "This guy is really long.

"I did my best to ride him off and box out. He's really tough. I've never played against guys like this."

"We threw what we had at him, but it didn't seem to affect him at all," Drew said. "You try to take something away and you give something else up.

"That team is playing really well right now. They're getting it from their starters and they're getting it from their bench guys."

Udoh was in foul trouble from the start and was limited to 15 minutes in a starting role.

"With Ekpe in foul trouble and really having to keep an eye on Zaza's minutes, you've got to throw the next big body on Hibbert," Drew said. "And it happened to be Miroslav."

Raduljica played 18 minutes and had four points, six rebounds, two blocks and three fouls.

"I'm collecting experience," Raduljica said. "This is my first year. I'm listening to Zaza, listening to other guys. I'm doing my best when I get a chance."

When the Bucks made a 9-0 run at the beginning of the third quarter to trim a 15-point deficit to six, the Pacers answered immediately behind Paul George.

Indiana stretched its lead to 75-61 entering the final quarter as George hit 5 of 7 shots and scored 10 of his 22 points in the period.

"He's an all-star," Drew said. "He has the ability to take that team on his back. When we closed within six, he seemed to take it upon himself to get that team going."
O.J. Mayo led the Bucks (2-6) with 20 points but they lost their fourth straight game. Khris Middleton and Gary Neal each had 11 points.

Pachulia was just 2 for 14 from the field but had a game-high 11 rebounds.

"I know Pachulia has given me problems in the past in Atlanta," Hibbert said of the former Hawks player. "I just took it upon myself as a mental challenge to overcome that and give it my all."
George said the Pacers have a winning formula.

"This is the same story every night," he said. "We come out and play hard. We make them shoot jump shots, and our big front line comes away with the boards. We know we can hold our own with any team with our defense."
The Bucks had 10 available players, although they were missing Larry Sanders, Caron Butler, Brandon Knight and Ersan Ilyasova, all out with injuries.

But point guard Luke Ridnour returned for his first game this season after being sidelined with a herniated disc in his back. Ridnour played 21 minutes and had four points and one assist.
"For not practicing and whatever, the first time going live in over two weeks, I'll take it," Ridnour said. "I'm obviously not where I want to be yet.

"It's good to get out there and feel OK."

The Pacers will head to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday night. Indiana's nine consecutive victories are the most it has recorded as an NBA franchise, although the Pacers won 11 in a row as an ABA team in 1972-'73.
The last team to start a season with nine straight victories was Dallas during the 2002-'03 season when the Mavericks opened with a 14-0 record.

"Hibbert is a load down there, the way he is playing," Ridnour said. "And they're undefeated so there's a reason why.

"Their team is good. They have a chance to win it (an NBA title). They're built for it."

The Bucks concluded a three-game road trip and headed home to play their fourth game in five nights as they meet the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

If I remember correctly, we all thought the beginning of the season had a pretty difficult schedule. Games against 2 of the projected top-4 teams in the East, 4 games in 5 nights, plenty of road work. I'm not buying the "strength of schedule" argument.

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Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

I'm not sure if I am suppose to post a link to RealGM here or not, but its just the RealGM forums under the Bucks board.

It is like reading a Bill Simmons article. All their players seem to be giving military ranks on who is the leader of driving the tank hahaha. They give out deflated balls to the worst player on their team each game. Its hilarious.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

If I remember correctly, we all thought the beginning of the season had a pretty difficult schedule. Games against 2 of the projected top-4 teams in the East, 4 games in 5 nights, plenty of road work. I'm not buying the "strength of schedule" argument.

That's because you're a homer. Outside of the Orlando game, every team we've played has had a worse record than us. How do you explain that? Hint: You Can't! None of the teams on our entire 2013 schedule have even clinched a playoff spot yet. I can't imagine an easier set-up.

Re: Pacers/Bucks Postgame Thread 11/15/13

If I remember correctly, we all thought the beginning of the season had a pretty difficult schedule. Games against 2 of the projected top-4 teams in the East, 4 games in 5 nights, plenty of road work. I'm not buying the "strength of schedule" argument.

I'm buying it somewhat. Six home games versus three road games. Only team in the NBA with only 1 game against a team .500 or above (even taking out the Pacers games only takes two other teams to .500). IIRC, the computer ratings all have the Pacers schedule as the easiest in the NBA so far, and for some of them it's not even close.

Where I disagree somewhat is that people tend to just look at the teams and not things like the 5 in 7 nights which has made the Pacers schedule harder. Also, there are teams who have struggled so far who the Pacers have played who will have a great record by the end of the season. And obviously the biggest caveat-there isn't any evidence to show that a better schedule so far=more losses. A greater chance for some, but the Pacers have done all they can do with their current schedule by steamrolling their opponents and already having 5 double digit wins.

The West is already 24-16 so far this year against the East, so I would expect the Pacers schedule to end up as one of the 5 easiest once again. It gets tougher (especially that early December stretch) but it's not like this team is going to hit the gauntlet for a long stretch at some point either.